More versions of some of Piazzolla’s classic pieces and less well-known works, plus a piece by a collaborator of Piazzolla’s – a cellist in the Buenos Aires Philharmonic. And all performed by the 12-member virtuoso French Canadian string orchestra known as Les Violons du Roy.
The opening work is The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires in English, and the four pieces for Piazzolla’s quintet were transcribed by Russian composer Leonid Desyatnikov for violin and string orchestra. They were commissioned by Gideon Kremer, who paired them in concert with Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. It’s a sort of Four Seasons in Tango, combining the syncopations of dance, Bach’s counterpoint, and touches of the Romantic and Impressionistic plus jazz, all arranged as a concerto. Fuga y Misterio is from Piazzolla’s chamber operetta Maria of Buenos Aries and is a fusion of the rhythm of tango and the language of Bach.
There are so many Piazzolla-influenced CDs available today, it’s a difficult decision to select just one or two. But if you’re a surround sound aficionado, this is one you should have.
— John Sunier
